A BBC journalist says the police misled him about a PR stunt when they paraded cars supposedly seized from gangsters.

Reevel Alderson, BBC Scotland’s home affairs correspondent, said he was never told the high-end motors had only been borrowed from a car showroom and were meant to be “representative” of the cars seized.

Strathclyde Police put the cars on show in Glasgow’s George Square to show how they were stripping hoods of their fortunes.

But the Sunday Mail later revealed they had, in fact, only been borrowed from a car dealership.

The force insisted journalists had been told the cars in the stunt, fronted by Campbell Corrigan, now chief constable, were only “representative” of the real ones.

But Alderson says no one told him.

In an email to a viewer, Alderson said: “The story was reported accurately based on the information I received both from the Strathclyde Police news release and in an interview I conducted with Deputy Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan.

“At no time was it mentioned either specifically or obliquely that the cars had come from a dealership.”

The BBC report stated: “All had been seized by police in their fight against organised crime – many had been used personally by gang members.”

It added: “The vehicles will be sold under the Proceeds of Crime Act.”

After our story, Corrigan’s aide Chief Inspector Rob Hay wrote to another viewer saying : “Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan was explicit in advising the journalists present that the vehicles on show were representative of the vehicles seized and not the actual vehicles themselves.

“The chief constable wishes me to convey his disappointment that a piece of tabloid journalism, such as this is, has served to shake your faith in his integrity and, by extension, that of our organisation.”

One source said: “Had the police been honest about these cars at the outset, no one would have been bothered.

“It would have been perfectly reasonable to show off cars like the ones they have taken from criminals.

“All they had to do was be upfront about what they were doing. Now it is everyone’s fault but their own.

“Talk about shooting the messenger.”

Strathclyde Police said: “When asked, Mr Corrigan and representatives from the press office explained to the public and representatives from the media that these vehicles were a representation of just some of the vehicles which had been seized.

“Several members of the public and media did ask about the specific provenance of the vehicles on display and the background was explained to them.”